Bloodstream
by NeverInLove.AlwaysInLust
Summary: Lord, forgive me for the things I've done, I was never meant to hurt no one, I saw scars upon a broken-hearted lover... Beth has been through hell and all she really wants to do is go back to her family. Daryl has been filled with so much guilt and pain, he never really knew hope until it was shown to him. Now he will do anything to protect that hope. Even if it means dying.


Beth's eyes crossed the room and she sighed, looking out of the window. The hospital seemed more like a pirson than the actual prison was. She heard the beeps from the machine Carol was hooked to as they made a soundtrack to her thoughts. She looked over to the older woman and felt a lump in her throat. Three days she had been there. There was no change, meaning that soon they would unhook the machine and leave her to what they called peace. As she watched, she heard Dawn barking orders in the hall to the others. Confused, Beth walked over to the door and peeked out. The others were moving at a quick pace, guns being drawn and cocked. The chaos was only fueled further by the patients in each room trying to retreat out into the hallways. Beth heard Dawn yelling at them to get into their respective rooms and a few slaps when there was protest. She quietly shut the door, making her way back to the window. Looking down, she saw fire and smoke rising from the gate. In the distance, she saw a few figures sneaking carefully around. Her heart started pounding and she slid over to Carol's bed, crawling in beside the sleeping woman. Her hand grasped onto the thin, frail hands of the woman she looked up to once. Laying beside her, she closed her eyes and somehow found peace with her fate. If she was to die today, it would be with the woman she considered a friend. Carol's even breathing beside her eased all of her worries and she slipped into a restful sleep.

Gunshots rang through the building, waking Beth out of her sleep. It was dark in the room, leaving her to feel around for the door. She cracked it again, peeking an eye out and looking around. The halls were dark and deserted, almost as if someone neglected the generator. She knew Dawn's OCD, so something big had to be happening. It took her a second for it to sink in. Carol's machine wasn't beeping anymore. Rushing to the woman's side, she laid her head on her chest. She breathed a sigh in relief when she heard a strong heart beating in the woman's ribs. She settled back in the bed next to her, watching the door carefully and biting her bottom lip nervously. The voices drew closer and her hand closed once more around Carol's and she closed her eyes again. She may be ready for death if it comes, but she didn't want to look it in the face just the same. The door opened, causing her to lose her breath. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and she felt tears stinging to be freed from her eyes. She willed them away and flinched wheen a light flashed behind her eyelids.

"Beth," she heard a voice hiss and opened one eye to find its owner. The light blinded her, causing her to put her hand up. Another voice piped in, "Dude, turn the damn light off of her. You're blinding her."

The light moved and she opened both of her eyes this time, confusion etched into her features. Noah stood, flashlight in hand looking at her with Daryl standing behind him. Daryl looked worse for wear, the exhaustion showing in every aspect of his face. She launched herself out of the bed and wrapped her arms around him, the tears she was holding back now flowing freely onto his chest. She felt one arm wrap around her back and the other find its way into her hair. They stood that way for a few minutes before she pulled back and turned, hugging Noah as well. Daryl made his way over to Carol's bed and he looked down at her, his hand finding its way to rub her forehead softly.

"Has she woken up at all?" he asked quietly, looking over to Beth. She frowned and shook her head, looking to the ground. He sighed and put his hand to her wrist, finding a still strong pulse. He handed his crossbow off to Noah, giving him a look of warning before reaching down and unhooking the needles and machines from Carol. He picked her up fireman style, and carrefully walked towards the door. Beth scrambled over and opened it for him, holding it until he and Noah went through. She took one last look around the wretched hospital room before letting the door close behind her and began to follow Daryl.

As they walked through the hallway towards Dawn's office, the rooms behind the doors around them were quiet. "Where are the others?" Beth whispered to Noah. He shook his head and quietly answered, "Most of them attacked us. Those that didn't either joined up in arms or high tailed it out of here. The group that helped us have the same option that I did."

"Which is?" Beth inquired as she continued to look around the halls. It was eerie without the lights that she had grown so accustomed to. They were nearing the office and Noah shook his head. "You'll see," is all he said.

The door to the office opened and Rick walked out, holding the door for Daryl to go inside. Beth gasped in surprise and ran forward, gripping his arm. "Are you real?" she cried, he breath coming out in short gasps, "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, I'm quite real, I assure you." He pulled the small blonde into a hug and walked her into the office with one arm around her. Once inside, she saw the Sasha and Michonne, along with some people in scrubs she didn't recognize. The tears poured out of her eyes once more as the they she knew took turns hugging her. Beth looked around, before looking to Daryl.

"Did you find Maggie and Glenn?" she asked quietly.

He shifted uncomfortably and Rick toook over with speaking. "They went to Washington with a man who can save us all," he said softly, "It was the only way the people they went with would help us."

"Was she even gonna look for me?" Beth inquired, anger filling her tone, "Did she even ask about me? Or did she figure that I was just dead? I wasn't there, so I must not have made it, huh? I must have just became walker food, right?"

She grabbed a glass off of Dawn's desk, turned, and launched it across the hall outside. "Did she just assume that I was a lost cause?" Beth yelled, sweeping everything from the desk onto the floor. "I survived," she said quietly, dropping to the ground, "I just wanted my sister. The whole time I was here, she was one of my main motivations to get out of here. Seeing her. I- I just wanted her."

The group looked on, a somber silence taking over them. Daryl set Carol down on the now cleared desk and bent down to Beth. His hand grabbed hers and he pulled her in close, hugging her to his chest while she sobbed. Michonne stooped down next to them and swept her hand through the girl's hair. Her eyes met with Daryl's and they passed a silent agreement between them. Michonne stood and picked Carol up, carrying her out. Daryl picked Beth up and whispered softly to her, "I'm gonna take you to someone who has been waiting on you."

Beth rolled her eyes and stared ahead. "Who?" she questioned, her voice thick with pain.

"Little asskicker o' course," he answered, a small smile playing on his lips when she gasped.

"Judith is ok?"

"Yeah," he whispered, "And I am betting she misses you more than you know."

Beth finally let a small smile grace her lips and she closed her eyes, letting herself succumb to the exhaustion.

When she awoke again, she looked around to see herself in a church. She laughed bitterly at the irony in it. Her daddy had always been a religious man. She never thought that she would find herself in a church again after the fall of civilization. She sat up in the sleeping bag she was wrapped in and let her eyes sweep the room. The sound of deep breathing filled surrounded her and she took in the sight of everyone sleeping peacefully. She stood up and stretched, her ears registering someone moving steealthily behind her. "Hi Daryl," she said quietly, smiling.

"Damn, you're getting good at that shit. Gonna have to step my game up some more," he whispered, "C'mon, follow me."

She turned and kept pace with him as he led her down a back hall. He opened a door and motioned for her to go in. Once inside, she looked down on the couch to see baby Judith looking around next to Carl's sleeping form. Judith spotted her and grinned, reaching her chubby arms towards Beth. Beth sobbed quietly and plucked the child up from the couch, hugging her close.

"Hi baby," she whispered, "You've gotten so big!"

The toddler cooed and pulled on Beth's hair happily, earning a smile from the blonde. Beth turned and walked out of the room, keeping the youngster wrapped in her arms. She walked out to the main room and danced Judith around, tears still in her eyes as the child's giggles echoed through the room.

Daryl leaned against the door frame and watched Beth as she whispered to Judith. He smiled to himself, letting himself get lost in the sight of her beautiful smile lighting up the room. He felt Rick walk up from the back hall and stand next to him. "She looks like an angel," Rick said, nudging Daryl's shoulder, "Something changed between you two while ya'll were together didn't it?"

Daryl shrugged and looked over to the man he called a brother. "She became my best friend," he replied, "I didn't teach her how to survive. She taught me how to live."

Rick looked back at him and smiled, "What do you mean?"

Daryl looked over to Beth, his eyes catching onto hers. "She gave me hope," he said quietly, "That's something that no one has ever been able to show me."

Rick nodded and followed Daryl's eyes. He saw Beth smile shyly and look away from the blue eyes that had her captivated. "She gives us all hope," he said, putting his hand on Daryl's shoulder, "She had the strength that no one knew she had."

Daryl nodded in agreement, and pushed himself off the wall. "Man, I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to her," he admitted, "I just don't think I could have handled it. Not after Hershel. I owed it to him to look after her."

"You don't have to think about it. It didn't happen man, she is here and she is alive."

"How's Carol doing?" Daryl asked, not bothering to look up when he asked this.

"She's still here with us, but she hasn't woken yet," Rick replied, "She's strong too. If anyone can make it, it's Carol."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just-" His sentence was cut short by the door to the church opening. Tara walked in covered in gore, breathing heavily. "We need your help," she said, breathlessly, "We have a HUGE problem."


End file.
